Wednesday, September 20, 2000

I read [Michael Boylan's] column with great interest; however, you forgot a very important group in our community, the dance companies.

I am the artistic director of the Georgia Youth Ballet and we struggle every year with trying to get a performing space. We are known all over the eastern United States but our own community does not have the opportunity to see us dance because we often have no place to perform.

Imagine having the number one male dancer in the world (Angel Corella from American Ballet Theatre) come and perform with our young company, and we have to perform at Creekside High School because no Fayette County stage was available or large enough for this dancer's incredible leaps.

Sams Auditorium is not large enough (the stage) to adequately house our company, although we make do for our "Nutcracker." Starr's Mills is unusable because of the back stage area and the low top curtains. Even so we attempt to use these spaces and can't because they are always booked.

Our dancers have reached a level of professionalism that requires a good performing space. They have danced in Memphis, Florida and North Carolina, but at home we struggle with finding an adequate facility that is available. Our dancers have received over 50 scholarships related to dance in the past three years alone!

I will wholeheartedly back your plan of having a decent theater in Fayette county. We will be available to perform or whatever you need to have this dream become a reality. But please, when planning a theater, don't forget the dancers. They too deserve a stage.

Let me know what we can do to further this cause. The Georgia Youth Ballet and The Studio are available for any help we can give you.

Thank you for taking up this cause!

Magdalena Maury,

Artistic Director

Georgia Youth Ballet

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